When most people think of a healthy workplace, they think about occupational health and safety. While the safety of the physical environment where you work is still important, two other elements are considered vital for a truly healthy workplace:
Did you know that organizations that create healthy workplaces benefit themselves and their employees?
For example, Lotek Wireless Inc. reports that the company’s wellness programs have resulted in improved rates in absenteeism, presenteeism (attending work while sick), and workers compensation claims. In 2012, just over one third (35.5%) of available sick days were used, meaning Lotek employees did not take their full allotment of sick days.
London Health Sciences Centre piloted a fitness project for its staff, physicians and volunteers. After the first year, staff reported an enhanced sense of well-being and an increased feeling of connectedness to the organization. Individual fitness assessment results showed improved cardiovascular health, increased weight loss, and decreased BMI (body mass index).
Health, social, and physical initiatives are especially important in workplaces where average employee age is 40 or over. Timely health initiatives can help to stave off chronic health issues that begin to present during this phase of life.
What can you do to promote a culture of wellness within your organization? Visit the CHWM website to get ideas about how to plan, promote and execute programs and activities for employees.
Visitor Comments
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Dave nelles - 2013-11-08
Who won the healthiest work place contest?... I believe i should have....
Anonymous - 2013-11-02
I stay Anonymous with fear of loosing my job before I find another one. I am currently on the hunt. Although the job market is very slim in my town. I entered a position in the spring of 2013 with hopes of it evolving into a good career. The possibility is there but the painful hoops I must leap and bound through are really wearing me thin mentally. I feel trapped. Upon being hired I had to wait a month for a wage subsidy program to kick in. This subsidy was in place in order to train me with the skills needed in order to function well in this career. Unfortunately this program was not used to its full potential at all. My boss constantly told me if I wanted training that I had to come in and learn on my "personal time" away from my 40 hour work week. For free. He wasn't going to give me special training on "his dime". He has been really ignorant about it on many occasions. Well I was lead to believe that the government paying half my wage subsidized the wages and time lost for the training that I did get. I show up early first thing in the morning, and leave home late for dinner on a daily basis. And I still struggle to get a full 8 hour day on my timesheet. I have been conditioned with fear of charging him for anything. I also have to listen to his self absorbed rants for often upwards of an hour and not get paid for it. Now that the wage subsidy has ended... He has requested that I write down even less hours on my timesheet. Every other job I have had in the past. I was paid for training, I was paid for every moment I was present on the job site, and after my 40 hour work week my boss expected nothing of my personal time. I actually put alot of my personal time in and got paid "overtime" for it. There is constant threats about not putting my personal time in. I dedicate many hours of my life to this man and he constantly reminds me of how I can be replaced. I am such a hard worker. I have bottled this up for so long. Just grin and bare it. Hopefully things will get better. One big problem I have had is with driving a standard vehicle. This is something I never learned. From day one I was told that I have to buy a standard vehicle and learn how to drive it. Well that would be nice except I can barely afford to keep the automatic vehicle I own on the road. He has threatened replacing me on many occasions because of this. I have told him on many occasions that I cannot afford to do this and he just tells me how he doesn't care and that I need to figure it out or im going to get fired. Well... I did figure it out. And it did not involve buying a standard vehicle. As I said, I work very hard for this man. Never miss a day of work. I dedicate most of the hours of my life to expanding his business and making him money... Yet I barely make enough to live a comfortable lifestyle. I am tired of the abuse. I do not know what to do any more. I feel trapped. Now with the slow season coming, he has told me that I will need to go on unemployment insurance. Although... I am still required to show up to work every single day even if nothing is happening. Also... If I work for any other company's during the slow season I am fired. I have had problems with unemployment insurance in the past and I fear what is to come. He has stated that unemployment insurance is a tool to "subsidize" our pay when there is no work. Well clearly he dose not understand that when you are on it you need to be actively looking for work every day. It is a tool to help the worker. Not the boss. I really hope I can find something new very soon. I feel like I am being pushed around by the school yard bully. I don't know what to do with myself any more. This man is affecting my mental health, happiness, and well being. I have never been so unhappy in my life. Although I still put a front on and show up to work bright eyed and bushy tailed everyday with hopes that things will get better. Unfortunately when you work for someone with spastic traits of bi-polar and obsessive compulsive personality disorder its real hard to do sometimes. The man is outright two faced, ignorant, and abuses his power over people struggling to make ends meet in this small town. I am currently staying anonymous because I need a steady income, and I am afraid of this man finding out somehow. I don't know what to do any more... If anyone has suggestions, I have created an anonymous email address. Thank you.
Sincerely...
Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired
David - 2013-10-02
Interesting article, however you seem to have overlooked one health item that is prevalent in the Canadian workforce, employee mental health.
I would be interested in Career Link's views on this.
Thanks